National league champions Ndejje Elites returned from Tunisia Tuesday morning having recorded an 11th place finish at the Africa Volleyball Clubs Championship.
Johnson Kawenyera’s charges fell to Cameroonian outfit INJS in their final group game and had their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals stall.
“We keep learning new lessons every other time we go for such tournaments,” Kawenyera, the team’s head coach, told Kawowo Sports on the team’s return.
“We have to make sure we keep qualifying because it is the only way we shall grow the game,” he added.
Before leaving for Tunisia, Kawenyera and his team had a target of finishing within the first eight places but fell short after losing to Cameroonian outfit INJS in their final game of the group.
“We played against professional volleyball clubs and yet still managed to put up a good fight. For me that is a big step,” Kawenyera noted.
Drawn in Pool A, the Ugandan, alongside University of Zimbabwe were the only two non-professional teams at the championship.
INJS, Carthage and ASEC, the team’s in Group A with Ndejje, are all professional volleyball clubs in their respective countries.
“We had young players who have picked up some good experience and that will help them in the future.”
Ndejje, who made their debut on the continent in 2013, were Uganda’s only representatives at the event and will now look to try and retain the national league to book another ticket to the next championship.
The team’s best performance came in 2013 when they made their debut in Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Vision Volleyball Camp remain as Uganda’s best performing side at the event having posted 7th place in 2014.